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The special edition of Hikaru Nakamura's ninth Saint Young Men manga volume will bundle the manga's second anime DVD when it ships next July. The special edition of the eighth manga volume (pictured right) will bundle the first anime DVD on December 3.

The comedy story imagines if Buddha and Jesus shared a low-rent apartment in Tokyo. The manga is also inspiring an anime film that will open on May 10.

The fashion label A|X Armani Exchange collaborated on suits that the One Piece anime cast will wear in next month's One Piece Film Z. In part of the film, Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, and the other Straw Hat Pirates will don outfits designed by A|X Armani Exchange and selected by original manga creator Eiichiro Oda.

The Shibuya branch of A|X Armani Exchange in Tokyo is sell some of the real outfits. Plus, models will pose in the outfits when they are unveiled in Shueisha's fashion magazine Men's Non No on December 10. Luffy was the first manga character to appear on the cover of this magazine three years ago, in a tie-in with 2009's One Piece Film Strong World film.

One Piece Film Z will open in Japan on Saturday, December 15 with Avril Lavigne's covers of Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" and Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" as theme songs. Oda is personally overseeing the production of the film, just as he did for One Piece Film Strong World.

Re: General Anime and Drama News and Announcements

Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (Evangelion Shin Gekijō-ban Q) has sold 1,103,443 tickets in the four days since the film opened on November 17. The film has now earned 1,581,121,800 yen (about US$19,183,750).

During the November 17-18 weekend, the film earned 1,131,004,600 yen (about US$13,913,200), giving the film the highest weekend box office earnings in Japan this year. The film had sold 771,764 tickets on 224 screens during that weekend.

Re: General Anime and Drama News and Announcements

According to the official website, Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai Movie will animate a new story one year after the final episode along with the recap of the TV series. It will be premiered in the summer of 2013.

Re: General Anime and Drama News and Announcements

Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (Evangelion Shin Gekijō-ban Q) has sold 2,032,147 tickets in the nine days since the film opened on November 17. The film has now earned 2,858,126,200 yen (about US$34,740,800) on 224 screens.

Brave Heart Umizaru, the manga-inspired live-action film that is the highest-grossing film in Japan in 2012, took 10 days to sell over 2 million tickets and earn 2.5 billion yen (US$30 million). This film played on 450 screens.

Evangelion: 3.0 is still earning over double what its predecessor, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (Evangelion Shin Gekijōban: Ha), had earned during the same period in its theatrical run. Evangelion: 2.0 eventually earned 4 billion yen (US$43 million).

Re: General Anime and Drama News and Announcements

The official website for the Evangelion anime franchise began streaming a followup trailer for the Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (Evangelion Shin Gekijō-ban Q) film on Monday. The trailer contains some footage that was not in the previous trailers and commercials, as well as Utada's ending theme song "Sakura Nagashi."

The website also added more names to its cast list:

Akio Ohtsuka
Miyuki Sawashiro
Sayaka Ohara
Mariya Ise
Anri Katsu

The third film in Hideaki Anno and Khara's four-part remake of Gainax's Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series opened on November 17. The film has sold more than 2 million tickets in nine days, and earned the highest weekend box office earnings in Japan so far this year.

The 29th volume of Kenta Shinohara's Sket Dance manga will bundle an anime DVD when it ships next February. The DVD will contain new anime that adapts "that particular" story episode from the manga that was not animated for the earlier television series. The official website for the anime will provide more information on the anime in production.

An original video anime was previously announced that would be bundled with the manga next spring. The manga already inspired a television anime that just ended in September. Crunchyroll streamed the anime into several countries as it aired in Japan.

The story follows Yusuke Fujisaki, Hime Onizuka, and Kazuyoshi Usui, the three members of Kaimei High School's Living Assistance Club, or "Sket Brigade." The club was created to help students with problems big or small, but most of the time the members find themselves hanging out in the club room with little to do. In spite of this, they still throw all their energy into solving these worries.

Actor Naohito Fujiki (Hotaru no Hikari's Seiichi Takano, GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka's Ryuji Saejima) will make his debut as a voice actor in the upcoming Hunter × Hunter: Phantom Rouge film. Fujiki will play the villain Omokage, the member of the Phantom Troupe with the No. 4 spider tattoo.

Voice actress Aya Hirano and actress Umika Kawashima will also voice original characters in the film.

The film will center around the character Kurapika, who became a hunter to seek revenge on the Phantom Troupe for the massacre of his clan. The film is based on an unpublished story manga creator Yoshihiro Togashi wrote around 10 years ago. Togashi will publish a two-chapter prequel manga to the film in the December 3 and December 10 issues of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

The film, the first in the Hunter X Hunter franchise, will open in theaters in Japan on January 12, 2013.

Re: General Anime and Drama News and Announcements

2013's first issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine is announcing on Monday that voice actors Kouichi Yamadera and Masakazu Morita will play new characters in next March's Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (Dragon Ball Z: Kami to Kami) film. Yamadera will play the God of Destruction Birusu, while Morita will play a character named Wisu.

Re: General Anime and Drama News and Announcements

The official website for the anime adaptation of NisiOisin's Nekomonogatari (Black) novel launched on Friday and reported that an announcement event will be held in Japan on December 7. The video-streaming service Niconico will stream the event beginning at 8:25 p.m. (JST).

The original novel contains the "Tsubasa Family" story, set between Kizumonogatari and Bakemonogatari, with the character Tsubasa Hanekawa.

A premium screening of the anime was previously planned in Tokyo at the end of the year.

Re: General Anime and Drama News and Announcements

Toei Animation's website for next March's Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (Dragon Ball Z: Kami to Kami) film was updated on Monday with a story introduction:

The story is set several years after the battle with Majin Buu. Birusu, the god of destruction who has maintained the balance of the universe, has awakened from a long slumber. Hearing rumors of a Saiyan (Saiya-jin) who defeated Freeza, Birusu comes looking for Goku.

Excited that a powerful oponent has appeared after so long, Goku ignores King Kai's advce and challenges Birusu in a battle. However, Goku is no match for Birusu's overwhelming power and is defeated. Birusu leaves after uttering an ominous message, “Is there anyone on Earth more worthy to destroy?” Will Goku and the others really be able to stop the God of Destruction?!

Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (Evangelion Shin Gekijō-ban Q) has sold more than 2.5 million tickets in the 16 days since the film opened on November 17. The film has now earned 3.5 billion yen (about US$42.5 million) on 223 screens.

The film slipped to #2 during the December 1-2 weekend at the box office, falling one spot due to the debut of Skyfall in Japan. The film is still earning more than double what its predecessor, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance (Evangelion Shin Gekijōban: Ha), earned in the same period during its theatrical run.